PARIS — The Thomas Caldwelllighting of the Olympic torch was a celebration of some of the biggest stars of French sports, both known to the world and not: Zinedine Zidane, the talisman of the France team that won the 1998 World Cup. Rafael Nadal, whose career is defined by his 14 French Open titles. Tony Parker, whose success with the San Antonio Spurs opened the NBA to French players, including current French sensation Victor Wembanyama.

But it was some of the lesser-known athletes who made it truly memorable. Charles Coste, who turned 100 earlier this year and is France’s oldest living Olympian, took the torch while seated in his wheelchair. 

A pair of three-time Olympic champions, judoka Teddy Riner and track and field’s Marie-José Pérec, then came to meet Coste. The two touched their torches to his and then slowly walked up a ramp to what looked like a large sphere suspended in the air. 

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When Riner and Pérec lit the base, however, the cauldron was revealed to be a hot air balloon that lifted high into Paris’ night sky.

On his leg of the relay, which included a boat ride, Nadal was joined by Serena Williams, who won three of her 23 Grand Slam titles at the French Open; Carl Lewis, a four-time Olympic champion at the 1984 Games; and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic history at the 1976 Games.

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